


The Other Woman

by day_dream_girl



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Humor, Romance, Season/Series 06-07 Hiatus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-03
Updated: 2012-10-03
Packaged: 2017-11-15 13:30:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/527835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/day_dream_girl/pseuds/day_dream_girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gile's returns to Sunnydale with a woman on his arm and Anya is less then impressed!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Other Woman

“Buffy, Dawn, everyone this is Simone,” Giles introduced the copper haired beauty at his side. She was just a few inches shorter then Giles. Her carriage that of an English lady who’d been brought up in the proper etiquette a lady was meant to know. She must have been in her late thirties or early forties but still retained that delicate beauty some women were privileged enough to have. Her nose was long and pointed at the end, but seemed a little too big for her face. Her skin was a creamy white, and her eyes were a shimmering light blue, so light that at times they appeared to be silver in colour. She stepped forward holding out her hand and taking Buffy’s in hers, a warm smile on her lips.

“You must be Buffy. It’s such a pleasure to meet you at last. Rupert has told me so much about you.” Buffy looked somewhat surprised but seemed happy enough.

“Nice to meet you too. But don’t believe all he tells you, I’m not really that bad.”

“Oh it was all good I assure you.” She replied, glancing over her shoulder at Giles, who in Anya’s eyes was grinning like a fool.

Buffy introduced her to everyone who all seemed very nice and eager to welcome her and make her feel at home. All apart from one blonde haired slip of a girl who, it seemed, was not going to be as easily won over, her eyes clearly saying she didn’t like or trust this intruder in their little group. Made even more obvious when she uttered the words,

“When are you leaving?”

Everybody appeared startled at the tone of her voice, her hostility evident for anybody to see and hear. The dark haired boy, Xander, if she remembered correctly, placed a hand on her elbow, “Ahn honey, we’ve talked about this, that’s not how we greet guests,” he looked apologetically at Simone. Anya’s head snapped up in his direction, but before she could speak any further Buffy quickly intervened.

“Uh, Simone, why don’t I show you the rest of the house?” quickly leading her out of the room.

They all left, leaving Xander and Anya alone. He turned to her straight away, “What’s up Ahn? I know you can be a little…blunt, but that was just plain mean.”

She didn’t look at him her gazed fixated on the carpet beside the couch, biting the inside of her cheek and her arms crossed defensively across her chest.

“Come on Ahn, what’s going on?”

“That’s what I’d bloody well like to know.” At the sound of his voice, Anya’s head snapped up to the direction of Giles, clearly furious, his eyes glinting with anger, directed solely on the feisty girl before him. “There was no excuse for such rude behaviour Anya, none whatsoever. I have never been so ashamed of you as I was just a few minutes ago.”

“Whoa Giles,” Xander held his hands up to the man’s chest stopping him in his advance towards Anya, “That’s a bit harsh doncha think?”

“No Xander I don’t. She’s not a child, stop treating her like one. She’s older then all of us put together, more then enough time to learn some damn manners. I expect you to go out to Simone this instant.” He chastised her as if she were a child.

“I will do no such thing,” she replied her face puce with anger, “I was merely asking how long she intended on staying.”

“Anya if you don’t apologised right this minute, then I’ll-”

“You’ll what?” she asked through gritted teeth. He straightened up and looked over her shoulder. “I’ll be forced to ask you not to be in our presence while we are here.”

“Giles, man, come on-”

“No Xander. That’s fine. I know when I’m not wanted. Goodbye Giles, I hope you and Simone will be very happy together. Assuming she doesn’t suck your brains out!” she screamed slamming the door behind her.

\----------

Anya’s head lolled back against the couch and she closed her eyes groaning at the sound of the bell. She got up resignedly. Xander had been ringing her all day and it didn’t seem to matter how many times she hung up on him, he just kept ringing. Eventually she’d just pulled the phone out. She opened the door jerkily ready to give him a good telling off; only it wasn’t Xander standing on her doorstep but Willow.

“Hi.”

“Willow, what can I do for you?”

“Can I come in?” Anya walked back into the sitting room; “I’ll take that as a yes then.”

Anya stood in the middle of the room hands on her hips. The place looked spotlessly clean as Anya like it, the cream couch with plump, plush cushions all perfectly casual looking and the glass coffee table had a vase of freshly picked flowers in it.

“Buffy’s cooking this big ole dinner tomorrow night and we wondered if you’d come. I did try to ring but I kept getting the engaged tone.” Anya glanced guiltily at the disconnected phone, Willow followed her gaze, “That’s probably why. Anyway we’d all like you to come, especially Giles.” Anya harrumphed, “No really, it’s not the same without you and Simone said she’d love to get to know you.” Willow said hopefully, her eyes large in her face.

“Oh well if _Simone_ wants me to come.” Once again Willow looked surprised but Anya continued, “What kind of name is Simone anyway? It’s just Simon with an e on the end. Her parents obviously weren’t that imaginative.”

“I-I think she was named after her grandfather. He was killed in the war.”

Anya frowned at her, “I’ll come, but only because I don’t want anyone to actually think her presence bothers me.”

“Okay,” Willow replied confused. “Hey why don’t you come over to Buffy’s now? Giles, Simone, Buffy and Dawn have gone shopping or something and Xander’s anxious to see you?”

“Well, okay but only for a short while.” She said getting her coat, “I need to figure out what to wear tomorrow night.”

\----------

“Giles has a sexy laaady,” Xander grinned.

“So you think she’s sexy do you Xander? Sexier then me?” Anya thumped him on the shoulder.

“Okay first of all ow! Secondly nobody’s sexier then you Ahn and thirdly what is it you have against Simone. She seems really nice.”

“Yeah,” Willow added, “If he’s happy with her we should be glad. It’s not as if happy relationships are the norm for us is it?” She glanced awkwardly between Xander and Anya before sitting down, “Okay, I’m gonna shut up now.”

“Do you think their having sex?” Anya looked fretfully between the two of them. “They are aren’t they? Hot Giles sex.”

“Whoa, some things you just don’t want to think about!” Xander said a disgusted look on his face.

“Anya does Giles being with Simone…upset you?” Willow asked carefully.

“She’s not right for him. She’s just so…ahh and so…English.”

“So’s Giles Ahn.”

“Exactly why they shouldn’t be together. They’d just be so polite and stuffy and and annoying. He shouldn’t be with somebody like that!”

“Simone and Giles, they grew up with the same type of people. It makes sense Giles could go for somebody like her. She’s a lady Ahn, a real one through and through. She’s not like, well you.”

“Are you saying I can’t be a lady Xander Harris? Cos I’m telling you, I can *be* a lady. I can talk strangely and lie to people to make them think I actually like them.”

“Hey what exactly is going on here? I-I mean what do *you* care who Giles goes out with or, even with it’s gross imagery, who he’s sleeping with?” Willow asked.

“Well you should know! It’s all your fault.” She swung around to Willow eyes’ blazing.

“Mine? H-How?” she asked an owlish look on her face.

“If it hadn’t been for you and your stupid memory spell and then thinking killing people and ending the world was a good idea, this wouldn’t be a problem!”

“Anya,” Xander reprimanded harshly moving towards Willow and putting an arm around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. Well I did, I just didn’t mean to remind you of Tara or your crazy witchy attempts to destroy the world.”

“Okay, you can stop now Ahn” Xander said through gritted teeth before comforting Willow. Once again Anya felt like a third wheel and left. Funny how she’d always felt like that whenever Willow or Buffy were around.

\----------

“Dawn, would you please pass me down the basket of bread and butter?” Dawn glanced bemusedly at her sister who blinked blankly. Anya had been acting weird all day. She was dressed a little different then normal as well. Her red dress seemd a little *too* fancy for the Summer's house. She’d been speaking funny, making sure she pronounced every word perfectly and didn’t shorten any of them. ‘Isn’t’ and ‘didn’t’ were not in her vocabulary. It was ‘is not’ and ‘did not’, and looking at her now, how her eyebrows raised in expectation, she still had that ridiculously false smiled plastered on her face.

“Um, sure,” Dawn replied passing it down to her.

“Thank you. I feel gratitude for your help in this situation.”

“No problem.” She replied a little freaked.

Glancing over at Giles she saw a look of confusion while Simone had a quirk to her lips, trying hard not to laugh.

“It was a very pleasant day today. With the sun shining it was very warm.”

“This is California Anya, it’s always warm.” Buffy replied.

“I realise that,” she snapped sharply but then smiled politely, “But Simone as our guest from England may not be familiar with it. She’s from England. It rains in England. They’re lucky to get three days of good weather a year.” she turned to Simone, “We can grow oranges here, you can’t do that in England.”

“Yes well, as *informative* as all this is I’m sure we can find something more…entertaining to talk about?” Giles suggested looking around the group.

“More entertaining? Are you suggesting *I* am not entertaining enough, that I do not capture and retain your interest?” Anya asked, “No man has ever said that to me before!” she continued distressed.

“I could well believe it.” Simone muttered.

Anya turned to her eyes narrowed. “I’m not experienced enough in rejection to know how to handle it. Maybe you could tell me how Simone?”

“I think it’s time for desert.” Willow said quickly standing up.

“But I’m not finished yet. I haven’t even touched my…” Dawn complained but looking up at Xander’s face became quieter, “chicken. Okay, I’m done.”

“So what’s for desert Buff?” Xander asked as the slayer rose collecting some plates with Willow.

“Profiter Rolls.” She smiled with satisfaction.”

“You made Profiter Rolls?” Giles questioned surprised his eyebrows raised.

Her smile faltered, “They’re frozen actually. But I, I did put them in the oven so they’d be, not frozen anymore,” she finished lamely heading quickly into the kitchen. Willow followed close behind. “She didn’t even know she had an oven until this morning.” She joked nervously.

“Yes.” Giles said turning towards the rest of the table seeing Anya slumped in her chair sulking.

Desert passed awkwardly. The tension between Anya and Simone overshadowing everything. As soon as it was over Anya stood up, all eyes upon her.

“I’m going now,” She said leaving her napkin on the table.

“Anya?” Xander questioned.

“I said I’d come to dinner Xander and I did. Dinner is over therefore I can go. If you wanted me to stay any longer you should have said." She turned primly on her heel and left the house.

\----------

Giles was downstairs going through some of his reference books when he heard a noise behind him. “Simone?” He asked looking at where she stood, two suitcases at her feet.

“I’m going home Rupert. No, don’t try to get me to change my mind because it won’t work. I don’t belong here and I think we both know that. We’ve been friends a long time Rupert and I won’t be used to make another woman jealous.”

“Simone, I don’t know what you’re-”

“What I’m talking about? Tut, tut Rupert, we’re too old to be playing children’s games. It was pretty clear from the moent I arrived I was stepping on toes. Now don’t go telling me lies Rupert Giles.” She warned him when he looked like he was going to protest, “If you value our friendship at all you’ll let me go home.” she hugged him and stepped out of his embrace. “And what’s this thing between you and Anya anyway?”

“It’s complicated,” he replied hands in pockets looking down at the floor.

“Complicated?! Hah, Ripper never had a problem with the women. In fact if memory serves me right you’d have two or three a night.”

He blushed as he looked up at her, “Anya’s different.”

“Oh, I see. Well stop pussyfooting around and put the poor girl out of her misery. It’s obvious she’s crazy, and I may mean that literally, about you so stop your moseying and tell the girl you love her?”

“Love?” He looked up in surprise.

“Come on Riper, I know love when I see it, you can’t keep you eyes off her and she’s practically all you’ve talked about since we arrived. And the poor girl, she does try to please you. She even tried to get on with me but we all know how that turned out.” A horn beeped outside. “Oh, that must be my taxi. Enough chitchat, must dash. Hopefully the next time I see you, you won’t be alone.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

“Goodbye Simone. I’m sorry about everything.”

“I know, so am I. Just make sure it wasn’t for nothing. Goodbye Rupert.” She left, quietly closing the door behind her.

\----------

Anya groaned and huffed angrily reaching for the door. If she ever felt like company they wouldn’t come within twenty-five miles of her but when she didn’t they just kept coming. She opened it angrily, her eyes burning with fury even more so when she saw who was standing there.

“May I come in?”

“If I say no will you go away and leave me alone?”

“No.”

“Very well”, she replied turning and walking back into the living room, “But you better make it quick I’m, I’m meeting someone.”

“Oh?” Giles eyebrows rose questioningly and she fidgeted nervously under his gaze. “Anyone I know?”

“Highly unlikely. He’s young. A …college student at the University. He’s a footballer, a jock. We drink a lot and have lots of wild hormone driven sex.”

“Anya stop lying.”

“I am not lying.”

“Anya you know very well you can never lie to me. I can always see right through you. You’ve always been too honest to lie.”

She crossed her arms defensively and frowned, “I hate it when you do that.”

He smiled and looked briefly at the vase of flowers, “I know.”

“Why are you here?”

“You’ve been acting strange lately, especially around Simone. I was concerned.”

“I don’t like her. She’s not nice. I can’t believe you’re going out with her!” she finished accusingly.

“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t?”

She gasped horrified. “Do you only ever think of yourself? You selfish, English…watcher! What about me? I’m a reason. When Willow went all crazy and veiny and almost killed you, who was it that stayed with you? Was it Buffy, Dawn, Xander? No wait that’s right it was me, Anya Emmerson.”

“Anya, I’m very grateful to you for-”

“I don’t think you get it Giles. That place was falling in. *I* was in danger. The *money* was in danger, but I didn’t save the money because I didn’t want to leave you alone. I chose *you* over the money. You mean more to me then money and I don’t think you fully understand or appreciated the significance of that.”

He stepped closer to her, “What’s the significance?”

“And then you went and left for England without even saying goodbye!”

“I, I did leave a message on your machine.”

“ ‘Anya, I’m off to England with Willow. Sorry I couldn’t find the time to stop by, take care of yourself and thanks again.’ ”

“You memorised it?” He winced at the sound of his own hesitant and uncertain words (he hated talking to those things) though it had to be said they were said to him now with more anger then he remembered saying.

“It didn’t take long.”

“Yes, well you’re right of course. I apologise, I should have thanked you properly. I’m sorry.”

“You should be.” She muttered and he couldn’t help but grin.

“I am. Anya, there’s something I think I should tell you. About Simone.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh _Simone_. How wonderful!”

“I think you may have gotten the wrong impression about Simone and myself.”

“What? You’re already married?” Was that a hint of panic in her voice?

“Don’t be absurd girl, I couldn’t marry Simone.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t love her, not like that. We’re not even going out. She’s just a very old, very dear friend who felt it was high time she met my American family.”

“Why, of all the nerve!” Anya replied offended, “You made me believe you and her were all gooey eyed and sex made over each other.”

“Well, now, now I never actually said that. You all just jumped to your own conclusions. Anya I’m sorry. I didn’t come back with Willow because I didn’t think I had anything to come back to. I did all I could for Willow in England, Dawn’s a teenager and that’s just a very muddy area I’d like to avoid, and Buffy certainly doesn’t need me.”

“What about me? I need you.”

“You do?”

“Of course I do. When your not here bad things always happen. But it’s not just that. When you’re gone I feel…unhappy. And at the thought of you going away again, something goes very cold and sinks until I feel ill and sick and want to throw up but I can’t!” She stopped pacing and stood just a few short inches in front of him. Her open, honest face all he could see. “I think I may be in love with, if that’s alright. Don’t leave me.”

“Oh Anya.” He swooped forward and kissed her leaning her back over his arm as he’d done the previous year. when he pulled away her eyes were shining, brighter then any jewel he’d seen before.

“Well that ended better this time.”

“Indeed.”

“But maybe we should try it again. Just to get it perfect.”

“Very well”, he smiled before his face became serious, “You do know I’m completely in love with you?”

“Of course. How could you not be?” She grinned before pulling his lips down to hers again.

~Finis~


End file.
